July 2023 MBR The LGBT Studies Shelf

The LGBT Studies Shelf

Heavenly LGBTQ+
Jan Haen
Apocryphile Press
https://apocryphilepress.com
9781958061220, $24.00, PB, 102pp

https://www.amazon.com/Heavenly-LGBTQ-Queer-Religion-History/dp/1958061220

Synopsis: Members of the LGBTQ+ community have bravely faced conflicts with church and society throughout history and around the world, including during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

With the publication of "Heavenly LGBTQ+: Queer Icons from LGBTQ Life, Religion and History", Jan Haen highlights the role of LGBTQ+ people in the Russia-Ukraine war and puts it into a broader context.

"Heavenly LGBTQ+" is a compendium of illustrated biographies that tell the stories of seventeen diverse international LGBTQ figures ranging from Alvin Ailey to Xenia of St. Petersburg. Included are the stories of saints, activists, martyrs, ministers, writers, and performers from North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Most lived in the 20th and 21st centuries. Their courage inspires hope for LGBTQ+ people today.

The succinct and accessible text lets the pictures tell their stories. Lively commentary reflects on how sexuality, gender, and religion impacted the war in Ukraine.

"Heavenly LGBTQ+" is formatted in a deceptively simple comic-book style that effectively conveys sophisticated understandings. The large, colorful illustrations on every page present a fresh, unsentimental perspective on uplifting people who faced tough times. Intended for adults, the book naturally includes occasional nudity and violence, as they are part of history.

Critique: Informed, informative, and timely given the current rise of hostility towards the gay community "Heavenly LGBTQ+: Queer Icons from LGBTQ Life, Religion and History" deserves as wide a readership among both the gay and the straight communities. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99), "Heavenly LGBTQ+: Queer Icons from LGBTQ Life, Religion and History" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library LGBTQ+ collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Jan Haen is a Dutch visual artist and Redemptorist priest who has ministered in the Netherlands and South Africa. His art appears frequently in the LGBTQ Saints blog series at Qspirit.net. He painted murals in schools, churches and public places in Africa and across Europe. Haen is an active member of the Werkverband van Katholieke Homo-Pastores, an association of gay Catholic pastoral leaders. "Heavenly LGBTQ+" is the sequel to Jan Haen's first book, "Heavenly Homos".

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